Exemplary embodiments relate generally to instant messaging and, more specifically, to techniques for providing convergence between instant messaging and interactive program guides.
Instant messages are electronic messages sent from device to device within an instant messaging (IM) community. Each of the devices displays a sequence of incoming and outgoing messages, typically in the form of a textual dialogue representing a conversation. However, these messages may include voice, video, still images, or electronic files in addition to, or in lieu of, text. IM differs from e-mail in that IM conversations occur in real time. Whereas email is a correspondence-based form of communication, IM provides users with the reassurance and satisfaction of receiving immediate replies. Accordingly, IM has experienced wide popularity among users of all ages.
One feature commonly offered by IM service providers is that a user can set up a list of contacts including friends, family members, colleagues, and others. The contact list is generally referred to as a “buddy list”, with each contact on the list known as a “buddy”. A user who is a member of an instant messaging (IM) community has a unique identifier in that community and can be added to the contact list of another member of the community using that unique identifier. This identifier (ID) is sometimes referred to as a contact name or buddy name. For example, short messaging service (SMS) is a form of IM that is available within the community of mobile telephone users, wherein the telephone number assigned to a mobile telephone functions as the unique identifier.
Another feature commonly offered by IM service providers is presence awareness. This feature provides an indication to a user specifying whether or not each of the buddies in the user's contact list is currently online and available to chat. At present, IM users can implement instant messaging using any of a plurality of device types such as wireless telephones, laptop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), Internet Protocol television (IPTV)-capable devices, and others. These devices may be utilized in conjunction with any of a variety of different communication platforms, such as wireless telephony, IP-based communication, and others. Existing techniques for indicating presence awareness indicate that a desired message recipient is online and available to receive a message.
An interactive program guide (IPG) is a user-interactive, on-screen guide to scheduled broadcast television or radio programs which allows a viewer to navigate, select, and discover content by time, title, channel, genre, etc, by use of a remote control, keyboard, keypad, or other input mechanism. IPG technology is based upon broadcasting data to an application residing within middleware in a computing device, such as a set-top box, which connects to the television set and enables the application to be displayed. By navigating through an IPG, users are provided with information about current programs and future programs. When an IPG is connected to a digital video recorder (DVR), the IPG enables a viewer to plan his or her viewing and record broadcast programs to a hard disk for later viewing.
Typical elements of an IPG comprise a graphical user interface which enables the display of program titles, descriptive information such as a synopsis, actors, directors, year of production, and so on, the name or identity of the channel carrying the program, and the programs on offer from subchannels such as pay-per-view and video-on-demand (VOD) services, program start times, genres and other descriptive metadata. The information is typically displayed on a grid with the option to select additional information for each program. In the case of radio programs, IPGs offer text-based displays of program name, program description, genre, on-air or off air, artist, album and track title information. An IPG allows the viewer to browse program summaries, search by genre or channel, immediately access the selected program, reminders, and implement parental control functions. An IPG may also be used to enable one-touch recording of programs.
From time to time, a viewer watching a broadcast program may wish to communicate with a buddy on the viewer's contact list. The purpose of the communication may be to discuss one or more aspects of the program, to share opinions or viewpoints regarding the program, or perhaps to discuss subject matter that is not related to the program. Pursuant to existing state of the art technology, the viewer uses a personal computer, laptop computer, personal digital assistant, or other portable internet-capable device to ascertain whether his or her buddy is online and, if so, one or more of the foregoing devices may be used to initiate communications with the buddy. Unfortunately, the process of determining whether or not a buddy is online distracts the viewer from the program being viewed. Moreover, the viewer must utilize one device to watch the program and another device to contact and communicate with his or her buddies.